Moistener



H. KOTZEN MOISTENER March l0, 1925- Filed July 15, 1922 i Patented Mar. 1!), 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENr OFFICE.

HYM-AN- aro raum i or men c1110.

11 MDISTENER.

Application filed July 15, ,L922 Serial No,., 75,315.

Akron in the county of Summit; and State.

of Ohio, have invented new and usefullm provcinents in Moisteners, of which' the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in -moisteners.; and :has for its p-rimaryiobject .inp; the gummed-snrface of.-envelopes, la-i hols, postage stamps and the hke.

.the provision of a strong, durable devlce adapted to be conveniently usedin moisten? A particular object of the inventionis to] provide a compressible liquid container in view..of oneof theearmsof a'holder..-em ployed. in. marrying out. this invention.

Figure/3 is a,central, longitudinal, sectionaLyiew of a, container or" bulb employed inv carrying.outthisinvention.

Figure l is a tr.ansverse, sectional iew taken on line 4- 1- of Figure 3. I v Proceeding .now. to a. detailed (description ofmthe invention with reference to the ac companying. drawingthe nurneral "5 denotes an oblong bulb which is composed of relativelyhstiff elastic rubber or-similar-material: The bulb is provided with aflatclosed end. or base 6.011 which the bulb may be supported inman upright position; when dethe form of a bulbof relatively stiff elastic tached from the holder hereinafter dematerial;andha-ving a single opening with an;-absorbentelement -.secured therein and tached and used without the holder, if..

' moistened The sponge 1.0 is prov ded with a .co;ax ally. arranged cavltyjl wh ch proprotruding; therefrom so that the contents centrally pos t oned inwardly projecting annular flange which is -formed onthe inner of the l uilb may-be automatically fed there to and thereby provide a moistener-which a be filled byacomprcssing the bulb, placu i the absorbing element in 211 'liquid-and-r permitting the container to expand.

Another object is toeprovide a-moistener which may boquickly and-conveniently attached to a table, desk. or other structures moans. in additional object is to provide a.- moistener and a .holdingdevice therefor whereby the-'ino-istener may be'placedat any convenient anglehand may be-quickly dee desired. l

The above and additional objects are ac-.

complished by thenovel construction, com-H.

bination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described a'nd illustrated in the accoma panying drawings wherein I have shown a preferr d embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the invention is capable of various adaptations and that changes and modifications may be made or substitutions resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings in which similar numerals of reference have been employed to designate like parts as the same appear in any of the several views and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a moistener constructed in accordance with this invention and showing a portion of a table with the moistener operatively secured thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, perspective scribed. The bulb ,5 terminates" at the execcomposed of rubber or other flexibleinaterial which is adapted to snugly fit'within the noz zlelen d of the bulb 5. The numeral 10 ,denotes an absorbent element which in that adaptation of ,the. invention shown is composed. ofrubber spo'ngei The sponge is substantially cylindricaliand is snugly fitted withinitheltube 9 souas'to project from the fomvardend thereof to provide a brush adapted to'c-ontact with the surface to be jects therein from the inner end,there0f to a point adjacent theouterend thereof; The bulb isz further provided on diametrically oppositesides with cylindrical sockets 12 which are arranged in co-axial alinement and project therein from the outer surface thereof at points approximately central of the rib 8 for a purpose presently to appear.

The inventionalso includes the provision of a mounting device which is composed of one piece of relatively stiff elastic rubber or similar material and comprises a jaw 13 which may be spread apart and clamped on a table top 1-1 or other similar structure. The numerals 15 and 16 are used to denote arms which are integral with. the jaws 13 and project upwardly therefrom to form afork adapted to receive thebulb 5 as hereinafter set forth. Each arm 15 and 16 ter-. minates at the upper end thereof in a cylindrical portion 17 and each portion 17 is provided with an 1nwar'dly projecting cylindrical lug 18 adapted to be received in one of the sockets 12 on the bulb 5.

a the socket 12.

.It will thus be seen that the bulb is pivotally mounted between the arms1'5 and 16 and may be swung on a horizontal axis to any desired position and that, when not in use, the bulb may be swung to an upright position. j

It will be noted that the bulb 5 may be quickly detached from the arms 15 and 16 and usedwithoutthe holder if desired. The flange 8 stifi'ens the bulb so that a structure is formed which will not be unintentionally compressed when placed on a desk or work table and thesaid flange further reinforces the central portion of the bulb, making; it relatively rigid and consequently provides a structure which may be securely held between the arms 15 and 16.

It will be noted that the tube 9. is held in! place by the elasticity of the nozzle 7 and if desired, the tube 9 may be removed from the nozzle and the bulb filled in the usual way. The sponge is also frictionallyheld in the tube vQand may be moved longitudinally thereof when worn away or to adapt the device to a particular kind o'f'work.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a structure which may be formed entirely of rubber and which in use will provide eflicient .means whereby stamps, envelopes" and other gummed articles I may be convenrently moistened.

Having thus illustrated my invention and a relatively stiff, flexible bulb, an integrally formed nozzle thereon a flexible tube detachably securedin said nozzle and an absorbent element fitted in said tube and protruding outwardly therefrom, said bulb provided with a centrally positioned inwardly projecting annular flange which is arranged on the inner face thereof with its axis running longitudinally of the bulb.

2. In a moistener of the class described, a

bulb of relatively stiff elastic material, an

integrally formed elongated nozzle thereon and an absorbent element fitted in said 'noz zle andprotruding therefrom, said bulb provided on the inner face thereof with an in wardly projecting annular flange arranged with its axis bulb. v j p 3. In a moistener of the class described, in combination a] bulb of relatively stifi' elastic material, a nozzle on said bulb, an

absorbent element fitted on said nozzle and a holder for said bulb, said holder formed of one piece of relatively stiff. elastic material and comprising jaws, a fork project-- ing upwardlyif-rom said jaws and means to pivotally secure said bulb in said fork.

4:. In a moistener of the class described, in combination, a bulbhaving a nozzle, an ab sorbent'element fitted in said nozzle and protruding therefrom, sockets in the outer wall of said bulb and an integrally formed holding device for said bulb, said holding device comprising jaws, a pair of arms projecting upwardly therefrom in the form of a fork, each arm provided adjacent the upper end thereof with an inwardly projecting lug adapted to fit in one of said sockets to pivotally secure said bulb in said fork. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I-IYMAN KOTZEN.

running longitudinally of the 

